News Broadcasting
BBC Three to be first UK channel to air content through broadband
MUMBAI: BBC Three will be the first UK channel to premiere its programmes on broadband. It will stream the new series of the hit comedy The Mighty Boosh from 19 July 2005 – a week ahead of its transmission on air on 26 July.
The Mighty Boosh is the first of a number of BBC Three comedies that will be premiered via broadband in the coming months. Audiences will be able to watch streamed programmes when they want on bbc.co.uk/bbcthree and catch up if they’ve missed an episode.
All episodes will be available to view for up to seven days after the final programme of the series transmits on BBC Three. The broadcaster states that the service further enhances its growing reputation as an innovative and mature digital brand, as the channel seeks to exploit cross-platform opportunities to offer viewers more control and greater access to its programmes.
BBC Director of Television Jana Bennett says, “The broadband premiere of The Mighty Boosh is a significant step forward in offering our audiences even greater value in a changing television world. It is one of a number of pilots that BBC Television will be undertaking over the next few months, exploiting the opportunities that new technologies offer to look at how programmes might be delivered beyond the traditional linear broadcast.”
Produced by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal’s Baby Cow Productions, The Mighty Boosh sees the return of intrepid heroes Vince Noir (Noel Fielding) and Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) as they embark on a string of brand new adventures.The first series, shown last year on BBC Three and subsequently on BBC Two was nominated for Best Comedy Newcomer at the 2004 British Comedy Awards.
According to Ofcom (January 2005), six million households in the UK have broadband connections. Recent financial statements from BT and NTL place the market size at over six million (five million for BT and one million for NTL), which rises to over seven million homes when including Wanadoo, AOL, Tiscali and other providers (around half of all internet connections).
Currently, there is a new broadband connection every 10 seconds. In May 2005 15.1 million people aged 15+ claimed to have a broadband connection at home, up 222 per cent on the same time last year (BMRB).
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
